Easy-opening carton for shipping and storing cut paper

ABSTRACT

An easy to carry lightweight carton for shipping and storing cut paper and for providing rapid and easy access to the paper when the carton is opened. The carton has a base portion and a lid pivotally attached to the base portion. A front wall of the carton may be pivoted down when the lid is pivoted up to facilitate access to the contents of the carton for ease of unloading of paper from the carton. A carry handle is built into the lid to facilitate carrying of the carton. The carton may be re-closed after it is opened.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/445,446, filed Jun. 1, 2006, which in turn claims thebenefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/772,468,filed on 10 Feb. 2006, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.60/698,156, filed on 11 Jul. 2005, and U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/686,211, filed on 1 Jun. 2005, all of which arehereby incorporated hereinto by reference as if fully restated herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

This invention relates to packaging, and especially to a package forpaper products. More particularly, the invention relates to a shippingand storage carton for cut sheets of paper, wherein the carton has asize and weight to promote easy handling and storage and has aneasy-opening feature including a fold-down side to facilitate access tothe paper. The carton may be reclosed after opening to keep unused paperfresh and neatly stacked, and has a built-in handle for ease andconvenience in carrying the carton.

2. Brief Description of the Related Art

Cut-sized paper, such as conventional photocopy paper, typically iswrapped in reams each containing, for example, 500 sheets. It is commonfor a plurality of reams to be bundled together and packaged in acorrugated container for shipping, storage and handling. For example, itis common to package from five to ten reams of paper in a singlecontainer, with a lid secured over the container to keep the reams fromfalling out of the container during shipping and handling. Since asingle ream of paper weighs about five pounds, packages containing fromfive to ten reams of paper are heavy and difficult to handle. Moreover,they are relatively large and require substantial storage space.Further, the reams of paper are closely surrounded by the containerwalls, and the lack of space between the reams of paper and thecontainer walls makes it difficult to remove the reams of paper for use.Additionally, each ream must be individually opened to gain access tothe paper, and the ream wrap disposed of.

Single wrapped reams of paper also are commonly sold, and although thesepackages are easy to handle and store, they do not protect the paperfrom physical damage. Further, most equipment used in the home or insmall offices does not hold a full ream of paper. Consequently, after aream is opened and the desired amount of paper removed, the remainingunused paper is unprotected.

Many home and small office users prefer to purchase several reams ofpaper at once, rather than to buy single reams more frequently, butprefer not to buy as many as ten reams at once. Packages have beendeveloped that hold five reams of paper, but even these packages areheavy, and, as such, are more suitable for industrial and commercialpurchasers, which typically will have material handling equipment suchas power lifts and hand carts to handle such heavy items. Average homeusers who wish to purchase several reams of paper at once typically donot have access to such material handling equipment.

Unwrapped cut sheets of paper are sometimes packaged loose in cartonsdesigned to closely fit the paper and protect it from damage. Unwrappedcut sheets of paper do not require removal and discarding of ream wrap,but conventional cartons of this type generally are also sized to holdfrom five to ten reams of paper and thus are relatively difficult tohandle and store. Moreover, these cartons generally have either aremovable lid or foldable flaps to close the top of the carton, and thelid is removed or the flaps opened to form an open top through whichproduct is removed from the carton. With such packaging it is difficultto remove the contents without damaging the carton or inverting it topour the contents out because of the lack of space to insert the handsof the user between the side walls of the carton and the paper storedtherein.

Additionally, and particularly for the larger containers that arecommonly used for shipping and storing cut sheets of paper, it is commonfor the stacks of paper to stand taller than the container basesidewalls, whereby the lid actually rests upon the top of the stacksrather than on the upper ends of the container sidewalls. Because it iscommon for several containers to be stacked on top of one another duringshipping, reams of paper packed in the stacked containers typicallycompress as air that was trapped between the individual sheets withinthe reams during the wrapping process is “squeezed” out. As a result, itis not uncommon for the containers to be compressed as the stacks ofreamed paper compress. That is, as the individual reams compress, it isnot uncommon for the containers to become “less tall” by virtue of thefact that the container lid (which rests upon the top of the paperstacks) moves closer towards the container base. For this reason, papersuppliers prefer not to secure the lids directly to the container basesusing an adhesive because the shear strength of typical hot meltadhesives cannot withstand the shear strain resulting from movement ofthe lid relative to the container base. In such situations, the lidsbecome disassociated from the container bases, thereby permitting thereams of paper to spill out of the container. Free lids also becomeentangled in automated material handling equipment, thereby causingmachine shut downs and shipping inefficiencies. Thus, it has becomecommon to utilize ancillary securing devices, such as straps and thelike, rather than or in addition to adhesive, to hold such containerlids onto their respective bases. However, such devices do not alwaysprevent the lids from becoming disassociated from the bases. Forexample, as the containers are compressed (for the reasons describedabove), the straps are loosened and are free to slip either partially orentirely off of the container, allowing the lids to become disassociatedfrom the bases, resulting in product spillage and/or damage. In additionto the free lids (which may become entangled in material handlingequipment), the free straps may likewise become entangled in thematerial handling equipment, resulting in machine shut downs andshipping inefficiencies. Operator safety is also reduced, as the freestraps and free lids clutter the workspace.

It is desirable therefore to provide a carton for shipping and storingsheets of paper, such as photocopy paper or the like, which not only issmaller and lighter in weight than conventional multi-ream containersand accordingly is easier to handle and store, but which also protectsthe paper against physical damage from the environment.

It is also desirable to provide a carton that enables the sheets ofpaper to be easily and quickly unloaded from the carton, wherein thecarton is adapted to remain sealed during shipping, handling and storingoperations without the need to utilize ancillary securing devices suchas straps and the like, and wherein the carton may be reclosed afteropening.

In addition, it is desirable to provide an apparatus, such as a carryhandle or the like, associated with the carton to facilitate handlingthereof. A combination of a smaller multi-ream container together with acarry handle, for example, is ideally suited for retail sales to homeusers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a carton for shipping and storing cutsheets of paper, wherein the carton holds fewer sheets of paper thanconventional containers for this purpose, and is therefore lightweightand easy to handle and store. The carton is constructed for easy accessto the paper for unloading it from the carton, and is particularlyadapted to ship and store unwrapped sheets of paper, although it may beadapted for shipping and storing individually wrapped reams of paper.

The carton includes a base portion having at least one side wall thatmay be pivoted downwardly to open the carton and expose the contents foreasy removal, and a lid portion engaged over the base portion to closethe top of the carton and normally hold the pivoted side wall in closedposition. When the lid is opened, that side wall may be pivoteddownwardly to expose the paper at the top and one side to facilitateaccess to it.

The openable side wall enables the user to easily and quickly grasp andunload the paper stored in the carton, without the necessity of forcingthe hands or fingers between the carton side walls and the contents, orturning the carton over and dumping out the contents. Moreover, the lidand openable side wall may be reclosed to protect the paper remaining inthe carton.

In a preferred embodiment the carton of the invention has a built-incarry handle and is adapted to hold more than one ream of paper, butless than the five or ten reams normally placed in a conventionalpackage. For example, the carton of the invention is adapted to holdapproximately three reams of paper, resulting in a lightweight packagethat is easy to handle. It is not intended, however, to limit theinvention to a carton for holding three reams of paper. The carton canbe adapted for any quantity of paper, but is generally limited to anamount that is easy to handle and store and that the built-in carryhandle can reliably support, which generally does not substantiallyexceed three reams. After the carton is opened, the user may simplygrasp and unload as many sheets as desired, without the need to openindividual reams, and the carton may be reclosed to protect the unusedsheets.

In a preferred construction, the base portion comprises a bottom wall,opposite end walls, and front and back walls folded from a singleunitary blank of corrugated paper. End flaps on the back wall are foldedinwardly and secured to the end walls by adhesive or other suitablefastening means so that the back wall and end walls remain in an uprightposition. End flaps or tuck-in flaps on the front wall are foldedinwardly but are not attached to the end walls. Instead, they tuck inbetween the end walls and paper held in the carton, whereby the frontwall can be pivoted downwardly to open the front of the carton. Afterthe desired quantity of paper is removed from the carton, the front wallcan be pivoted back up to an upright position, with the tuck-in flapstucked between the end walls and paper to re-close the carton.

The lid portion comprises a lid folded from a single unitary blank, withan insert sheet and carry handle assembled to it. The lid has a topwall, depending end flanges, and depending front and back flanges. Theback flange has end flaps on its opposite ends, turned inwardly to lieinside and parallel to the end flanges but unattached to the endflanges. In the assembled carton, the lid back flange and associated endflaps are secured by adhesive or other suitable fastening means to theback wall and end walls, respectively, of the base portion. The lidfront flange has a width to extend downwardly over an upper edge portionof the base portion front wall, to hold the front wall in its uprightclosed position when the lid is in its operative closed position. Endflaps on opposite ends of the front flange are turned inwardly to layinside and parallel to the end flanges and are attached to the endflanges by adhesive or other suitable fastening means. A glue strip onthe bottom edge of the lid front flange is secured by adhesive or othersuitable fastening means to the base portion front wall, and a tearstrip extends along the bottom edge of the front flange between thefront flange and the glue strip. With this construction, when the tearstrip is removed the lid may be pivoted upwardly to expose the paperheld in the carton and uncover the front wall so that it may be pivoteddownwardly to facilitate access to the paper.

A carry handle is attached to the lid to facilitate carrying the carton,and comprises a flexible strap attached to a base plate that is securedbeneath an insert panel placed in the lid between the lid top wall andthe top sheets of paper. The flexible strap extends through alignedopenings in the insert panel and lid top wall. The insert panel maycomprise corrugated cardboard, or chipboard, or other suitable material.

The carton of the invention may be opened to gain access to the paperstacked inside, and reclosed to protect the remaining paper. It does notrequire substantial adhesive attachment between the lid and the base, orseparate securing means such as straps to keep the lid assembled to thebase. Further, the carton preferably holds more than one ream of paper,preferably about three reams, and because of its reduced size andweight, and the provision of a carry handle, the carton is easy to carryand store.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the invention will be had upon reference tothe following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsin which like reference numerals represent like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton base is formed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the lid is formed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the insert sheet used in assembling the carryhandle to the lid;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lid in an inverted, upside-downposition;

FIG. 5 is an exploded top perspective view of the lid and carry handleassembly of the carton of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the base portion of the carton ofthe invention, with the lid omitted and the front wall partially pivotedtoward an open position;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a preferred package constructed inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the package of FIG. 7, showing thetear strip removed and the lid pivoted upwardly, with the movable frontwall pivoted to a partially open position, and wherein the cartoncontains unwrapped sheets of paper;

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the package of FIG. 8, with the lidpivoted to a fully open position and the movable front wall pivotedfully downwardly; and,

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the package of FIG. 9, with the lidand front wall returned to their closed positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred carton in accordance with the invention is indicatedgenerally at 10 in the drawings. The carton comprises a rectangularlyshaped base portion 11, a lid portion 12, and a carry handle 13. Thebase portion has a bottom wall 14, opposite end walls 15 and 16, a backwall 17, a movable front wall 18, and an open top 19. The lid 12 istelescopically received over the open top and has a top wall 20,depending end flanges 21 and 22, a depending back flange 23, and adepending front flange 24. A glue strip 25 is joined to the bottom edgeof the front flange to secure the front of the lid to the base portionfront wall, and a tear strip 26 extends between the front flange andglue strip to separate the front flange from the glue strip and enablethe lid to be pivoted upwardly.

Details of construction of the base portion 11 can be seen best withreference to FIGS. 1 and 6. A blank B1 for making the base portion 11 isillustrated in FIG. 1, and comprises bottom wall panel 14, opposite endwall panels 15 and 16 foldably joined to opposite ends of the bottomwall panel, back wall panel 17 foldably joined to a back edge of thebottom wall panel, and movable front wall panel 18 foldably joined to afront edge of the bottom wall panel. Glue flaps 27 and 28 are foldablyjoined to opposite ends of the back wall panel, and tuck-in flaps 29 and30 are foldably joined to opposite ends of the front wall panel.

Assembly of the base portion 11 is seen best in FIG. 6. The glue flaps27 and 28 on opposite ends of the back wall 17 are folded inwardly andglued or otherwise suitably fastened to the inner surface of therespective end walls 15 and 16, but the tuck-in flaps 29 and 30 onopposite ends of the front wall 18 are merely folded inwardly to lieagainst the inner surface of the end walls. The tuck-in flaps slidealong the end walls, between the end walls and paper held in the carton,when the front wall 18 is moved between its upright and lowered pivotedpositions. The tuck-in flaps may be suitably shaped, e.g., with acurvilinear free end edge 31 as shown, to facilitate entry of them intothe space between the end walls and paper as the front wall is moved toits upright closed position. A finger access cut-out 32 may be providedin the upper edge of the front wall 18 to facilitate moving itdownwardly, if desired.

Details of construction of the lid portion 12 can be seen best withreference to FIGS. 2-5. A blank B2 for making the lid 12 is illustratedin FIG. 2, and comprises top wall panel 20, end flange panels 21 and 22foldably joined to opposite ends of the top wall panel, back flangepanel 23 foldably joined along fold line L to a back edge of the topwall panel, and front flange panel 24 foldably joined along a front edgeof the top wall panel. Glue strip panel 25 is joined to the free edge ofthe front flange panel by tear strip 26 extending between the frontflange and glue strip to enable separation of the front flange from theglue strip. First glue flaps 33 and 34 are foldably joined to oppositeends of the front flange panel 24, and second glue flaps 35 and 36 arefoldably joined to opposite ends of the back flange panel 23. A shapedopening 37 is formed generally through the center of the top wall panelto receive the carry handle 13 as described below.

As seen best in FIG. 4, the first glue flaps 33 and 34 on opposite endsof the front flange panel 24 are secured by adhesive or other suitablefastening means against the inner surface of the respective end flanges21 and 22, but the second glue flaps 35 and 36 are merely foldedinwardly parallel to the end flanges and are not attached thereto. Aband of adhesive 38 is applied along a bottom edge of the back flangepanel 23 and a bottom edge of the second glue flaps 35 and 36 to attachthese parts to the back wall and end walls, respectively, of the baseportion when the lid is assembled to the base. The glue strip 25 also isadhesively attached to the base front wall, and with the band ofadhesive 38 comprises the only adhesive attachment of the lid to thebase portion. This permits the lid to be pivoted upwardly about the foldline L when the tear strip is removed to separate the front flange ofthe lid from the glue strip (see FIG. 8). That is, the end flanges 21and 22, being free of attachment to the second glue flaps 35 and 36, arepermitted to slide along the glue flaps and not resist upward movementof the lid as it is raised to its upward pivoted position.

As seen best in FIG. 5, the carry handle 13 includes a flexible strap 40attached to a rectangular base plate 41 that is adhesively attached tothe bottom of an insert sheet 42 sized to fit in the lid beneath the topwall, with the strap projecting through a shaped opening 43 in the sheet42 and through the shaped opening 37 in the lid top wall. The sheet 42may be adhesively attached to the underside of the lid top wall, ormerely fit into the lid between the top wall and the paper sheetswithout being attached to the top wall. Either way, this constructionresults in a very strong carry handle.

As seen in FIGS. 7-10, the package is compact, enabling it to be easilystored under a desk or on a shelf Opening of the package is easilyaccomplished simply by removing the tear strip and pivoting the lidupwardly, after which the front wall can be pivoted downwardly to gainaccess to the paper held in the carton. After the desired amount ofpaper has been removed, the front wall can be returned to its uprightposition, with the tuck-in flaps inserted between the base end walls andthe paper held in the carton, and the lid returned to its loweredposition to close the package and hold the front wall in its closedposition.

While the invention has been shown for holding unwrapped sheets ofpaper, it should be understood that it could be used for holding wrappedreams of paper, and although the preferred embodiment is designed forholding about three reams of paper, the carton could be sized forholding other quantities of paper so long as the size and weight do notexceed amounts (for example, about 20 pounds) that provide ease ofhandling and carrying by the carry handle.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed in detail herein, it should be understood that various changesand modifications may be made to the invention without departing fromthe spirit and intent of the invention as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A carton for shipping and storing a quantity ofcut sheets of paper, comprising: a carton base portion having a bottomwall, opposed upstanding front and back walls and opposed upstanding endwalls all of substantially uniform height, each joined along a bottomedge to a respective edge of the bottom wall, and an open top; a lidtelescopically engaged over the open top, said lid having a top wallwith depending end flanges, a depending front flange that extendsdownwardly over an upper portion of the front wall when the lid is inclosed position, and a depending back flange attached to the carton backwall; a glue strip extending along a bottom edge of said lid frontflange, said glue strip being adhesively attached to said base portionfront wall and removably attached to said lid front flange by a tearstrip; said base portion front wall being unsecured to adjoining endwalls and being pivotable about its bottom edge downwardly and away fromthe carton to an open position when the lid is moved upwardly away fromsaid front wall, thereby exposing the cut paper at the top and one sideto permit easy access to paper contained in the carton for rapidunloading of the paper from the carton; said front wall having inwardlyturned tuck-in flaps on opposite ends thereof which tuck into the cartonin contiguous, parallel, overlapping relationship with adjacent endwalls when said front wall is in closed position; and a carry handle onsaid lid, said carry handle comprising a flexible strap directly securedat its opposite ends to a base plate located beneath said lid top wall,and a separate insert panel between said base plate and said lid topwall, said flexible strap projecting through aligned openings in saidinsert panel and said lid top wall, wherein the carry handle is free ofdirect attachment to the lid.
 2. A carton as claimed in claim 1,wherein: inwardly turned glue flaps are on opposite ends of said lidfront flange and said lid back flange, said glue flaps on said lid frontflange being attached to respective said lid end flanges, and said glueflaps on said lid back flange being free of attachment to said lid endflanges.
 3. A carton as claimed in claim 2, wherein: said glue flaps onsaid lid back flange are attached to respective said base portion endwalls.
 4. A carton as claimed in claim 3, wherein: a bottom edge of saidlid back flange and a bottom edge of said glue flaps on said lid backflange are attached to said base portion back wall and end walls,respectively, by only a band of adhesive on said bottom edge of said lidback flange and said bottom edge of said glue flaps on said lid backflange.
 5. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the tuck-in flaps onsaid base portion front wall are relatively narrow so that they may bemoved into and out of the carton without unduly disturbing the contentsof the carton.
 6. A carton as claimed in claim 4, wherein: said lid topwall is foldably attached to said lid back flange along a fold line, andsaid lid pivots upwardly about said fold line.
 7. A carton as claimed inclaim 6, wherein: said lid is attached to said base portion only byattachment of said lid back flange to said base portion back wall,attachment of said lid back flange glue flaps to said base portion endwalls, and attachment of said glue strip to said base portion frontwall.
 8. A carton as claimed in claim 4, wherein: said lid front flangeextends downwardly over an upper edge portion of said base portion frontwall to hold said front wall in closed position when said lid is inclosed position.
 9. A carton as claimed in claim 8, wherein: saidtuck-in flaps have free end edges, and said free end edges are shaped tofacilitate insertion thereof into the carton.
 10. A carton as claimed inclaim 9, wherein: said base portion back wall and end walls areintegrally joined to the bottom wall, and are secured and sealed to oneanother at adjacent edges.
 11. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein:inwardly turned glue flaps are on opposite ends of said lid front flangeand said lid back flange, said glue flaps on said lid front flange beingattached to respective said lid end flanges, and said glue flaps on saidlid back flange being free of attachment to said lid end flanges.
 12. Acarton as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said glue flaps on said lid backflange are attached to respective said base portion end walls.
 13. Acarton as claimed in claim 12, wherein: a bottom edge of said lid backflange and a bottom edge of said glue flaps on said lid back flange areattached to said base portion back wall and end walls, respectively;said lid top wall is foldably attached to said lid back flange along afold line, whereby said lid can pivot upwardly about said fold line;said lid front flange extends downwardly over an upper edge portion ofsaid base portion front wall to hold said front wall in closed positionwhen said lid is in closed position; a glue strip is on a bottom edge ofsaid lid portion front flange, attaching said front flange to said baseportion front wall, and a tear strip removably attaches said frontflange to said glue strip; and said lid is attached to said base portiononly by attachment of said lid back flange to said base portion backwall, attachment of said lid back flange glue flaps to said base portionend walls, and attachment of said glue strip to said base portion frontwall.
 14. A lid for placement over an open end of a container to closethe open end, wherein said lid comprises: a lid top wall having anopening therethrough and depending front and back flanges and endflanges; a glue strip removably attached to a bottom edge of said lidfront flange by a tear strip; first glue flaps on opposite ends of saidfront flange, said first glue flaps being attached to said end flanges;second glue flaps on opposite ends of said back flange, said second glueflaps being free of attachment to said end flanges; a separate insertpanel beneath said top wall, said insert panel having an openingtherethrough in alignment with the opening through the top wall; and aflexible strap directly attached at opposite ends to only a base platebeneath said insert panel, said strap projecting through said alignedopenings in said insert panel and top wall and forming a carry handle,wherein the insert panel, base plate and carry handle are free fromdirect attachment to the lid.